Twilight Dreams
by Menelvir GilNaur
Summary: Elizabeth Heinswen, aka Riza Hawkeye, travels to the hometown of her fiancé for her wedding. But she soon finds herself the love interest of the legendary Vampire of Gieseborough. Who will have her heart? An Alternate Universe Royai biased fanfic.
1. The Way Home

Author's Note: All characters, with exception of Anthony Briggs and his family, copyright of Hiromu Arakawa. I don't mean to claim them as my own, in this chapter, or in any subsequent chapter.

Gieseborough is a small village in the heart of England at the turn of the century, during the Industrial Revolution.

* * *

Chapter One: The Way Home

The setting sun embraced the little village of Gieseborough with a warm pink glow. It was the end of yet another sweltering summer day. All throughout the village, people stretched their tired muscles as they closed the day with a hard earned rest. Mothers called their children indoors, masters sent their young apprentices off home, and wives greeted their husbands at the door with a fragrant aroma of warm food. The bustle of the rustic town died down as night began its claim on the streets.

On the outskirts of the village, a farmer sat in the shade of his farmhouse, yawning. As was with most days, his back ached from constant stooping while working in the fields with his rake. The farmer sat facing the dirt road that led out of Gieseborough. It was quiet as ever. Gieseborough never had many tourists, for it was a simple town with little but peace and tranquillity to offer. If an adventurer wanted to see something exciting, he would head to the next town of Liesendale. Instead of farming grain and vegetables, so they said, Liesendale farmed in their ugly tin-roofed factories machines. Huge twisted pieces of metal that could do anything a man could do, but faster. The old farmer wrinkled his nose at the idea. What was wrong with the old fashioned way? It had, after all, worked for years.

The faint sound of hoof beats and a horse whinnying in the distance interrupted his thoughts. Alarmed, the farmer jumped out of his chair and peered down the dust road. Sure enough, a horse-drawn carriage was approaching the village, the orange sun as its background. Visitors at this time of day! It was lucky they managed to reach before darkness fell, or they might have lost their way. The farmer watched with growing excitement as the unknown tourists approached.

* * *

"Good old Gieseborough!" Anthony enthused, as the carriage climbed over a small hill, revealing the small village sitting behind it. "It may be old-fashioned in its ways, but it's still home!"

He turned to look at the young woman sitting next to him. She had her head out of the carriage window, a hand clutching her straw hat as the wind whipped her blond hair about her face. "What do you think, Elizabeth darling?" Anthony asked.

The blonde lady turned to face him, her brown eyes shining with joy. "It's wonderful! I've never seen such a quaint little village. Such fresh air!" she exclaimed, sucking in a lungful of the scented summer air.

Anthony chuckled at his fiancée's excitement. "You grew up in a city, Elizabeth, so it's something new for you," he explained. "But living in such a backdated place is really quite boring. If my parents did not still live here, I probably would never come back. But seeing as we're getting married soon, and they refuse to come to the city for the wedding…" He sighed, snaking an arm around Elizabeth to draw her closer.

"I'll do anything, just to be with you. Even if it means coming back here..." Anthony added, making a face. Elizabeth laughed, then frowned.

"I do wish you would call me Riza," she chided gently, "or at least Lisa or Eliza. Elizabeth just sounds so…formal." But Anthony wasn't paying attention. Looking out of the window, he had just spotted an old farmer standing by the side of the road and peering curiously at the carriage.

"Why, hello there, Mister Majhal!" Anthony called to the farmer, waving his hand in greeting. To the carriage driver, he said, "Stop a moment, will you?"

The carriage bounced to a jerky halt beside old Majhal, who grinned toothily. "Well, well," he said. "If it isn't young Master Tony Briggs! You've been away for what, five years, eh? And who's that pretty young lady beside you?"

Anthony's grin widened. "Mister Majhal, meet Elizabeth Heinswen, my fiancée," he said proudly.

Majhal's eyes widened. "Fiancée eh? You sure are a quick one, Master Tony! Gone five years, and back ready to be married! My, how you've grown!" Majhal smiled encouragingly, then pounded his hand with his fist, as if he'd just remembered something. "Oh yes! My wife Karin made some rose jam the other day, and I believe we can spare some. Would you take a jar to your dear mother?" Saying this, he turned into the house, and emerged a minute later with a tightly sealed bottle of jam. Anthony took the bottle eagerly and sniffed it.

"Ah, I've missed Karin's jam…" Anthony smiled fondly. "Thanks, Mister Majhal!" Waving goodbye, Anthony commanded to driver to move on. It was dark by now, and the village was glowing alive with candle light shining through every window. It was these lights that guided their way as they rode down the path into the heart of the village.

* * *

"My son! Oh, how good to see you alive and well!" Upon seeing her only child return, Mrs Briggs had lapsed into a state of joyful tears, hugging and kissing an embarrassed Anthony.

Anthony and Riza's first stop had been The Black Bear, the local inn, where almost all the villagers gathered every night to exchange gossip and have a drink or two. Anthony had told his parents to meet him there, but he did not expect everyone to have such an exaggerated reaction to his appearance after a long absence. Even his father could not stop smiling.

"Welcome home, son," Squire Briggs said over and over again, patting his son on the shoulder.

"Hey, Tony!" a loud voice from the back of the crowd called. Looking around, Anthony recognised Sig Curtis, the butcher, as the owner of the voice. "You haven't introduced your pretty friend yet!"

"Right!" Anthony grinned. "Everyone, this is my future wife, Elizabeth Heinswen–"

"Riza Hawkeye," Riza interrupted.

"– who prefers to be known by her nickname, Riza," Anthony finished. "We're hope to have the wedding here, maybe at the end of summer or the start of fall."

Alex Armstrong the bartender whistled in surprise. "You've grown up, young man!" he said. "I still remember that time you sneaked into the back of my inn to steal some ale!"

Anthony winced. "Yeah, I still remember the thrashing you gave me," he replied, as everyone roared with laughter.

* * *

Riza could not sleep that night. It was not that she was unused to the softness of the feather bed, or that she missed the night sounds of London. Shifting her posture on the bed, Riza thought back to her brief time in The Black Bear's bar. Everyone seemed so happy and positive about the marriage, and so friendly to her, even though she was a stranger. Some of the women had even offered to help make a wedding gown for her!

Yet, Riza felt she would never get used to the idea of getting married. Although she appreciated the villagers' enthusiasm on her behalf, she felt that she was not one to get married, and especially not in an arranged marriage.

A year ago, her parents had run into a great debt, and it was the young banker Anthony Briggs that helped them out of it. To show their gratitude, the Heinswens had offered their young daughter to him in marriage. It just so happened that Anthony was looking for a wife at that time, and had had his eye on Riza for some time, and so he had accepted the offer thankfully. No one had asked Riza's opinion on the marriage.

Riza sighed. She knew she could not play the role of a dutiful wife, not with her natural curiosity and in-born adventurer's spirit. She wish she'd been born a man. That way, she would be given free reign to roam the land, her wooden box camera around her neck, and a pen poised in her hand, ready to chronicle the world in word and picture. In fact, she already did that, as often as she could. She worked as a freelance journalist under the alias of Riza Hawkeye, a young British man who had a full time job as a book binder. The newspaper need never know that Riza was a girl, but if they, or her parents ever found out… Riza shuddered to think what the consequences would be.

Fluffing up her pillow, Riza lay down again. Perhaps the world of dreams was over, and it was time for reality of her sex to take over. But somewhere deep in her heart, Riza hoped some knight in shining armour would come and save her from the dreaded future.

Closing her eyes, Riza finally drifted off to sleep, her dreams riddled with a faceless knight on a wild, black charger, riding down a hill to snatch her out of Anthony's grasp.


	2. Strange Meeting

Chapter Two: Strange Meeting

Riza awoke to what sounded like gunshots. She frowned, still half-asleep, wondering what the dark knight of medieval times was doing with a pistol. The gunshots continued incessantly. _That's not right_, she thought. _A pistol only has six rounds…_ She opened her eyes.

It was early morning. Bright sunlight spilled through the gap in the curtains. There was no sign of a knight or a black stallion. And she was still at the Briggs' house. Riza sighed. So it had been all a dream.

"Elizabeth?" someone shouted through the door. "Are you decent, love?" Grabbing her dressing gown from where she had left it draped over a wooden chair, she quickly put it on and opened the door to see kindly Mrs. Briggs.

"Ah, there you are dear!" Mrs. Briggs smiled. "Breakfast is ready. Come and join us!"

Entering the large dining hall, Riza was embarrassed to find that she was the last to be up. Squire Briggs had already finished his toast, and was sipping a cup of hot tea with an air of easy satisfaction.

"Good morning, Elizabeth, my girl! Toast for you? The butter is freshly made." Squire Briggs' voice echoed in the room, a tribute to his wide girth. Taking a clean plate, he started piling toast onto it until there was quite a pile. As Riza opened her mouth to protest that she could not finish so much food, Squire Briggs roared in laughter. "Don't be shy," he said. "Eat up! We have more than enough anyway."

Riza blushed. "Thanks, Mr. Briggs!" she said accepting the plate. The big man waved her thanks away as if he were swatting at a fly.

"I'll leave you two youngsters to mop up the rest of the bacon, eh?" Winking at his son, Squire Briggs got up and left the table. Mrs. Briggs followed her husband out.

Anthony gave Riza a weak grin. "Don't mind Father," he said apologetically. "He likes to be friendly with everyone, although it's quite awkward for some of the people we rent the land to." He shrugged, helping himself to one of the slices of toast in Riza's pile.

"Come on, when you're done with breakfast, I'll bring you for a tour 'round the village!"

When Riza could no longer stuff anymore food down her throat, she went back to her room to change into a bright yellow summer dress. She found Anthony standing in the hallway by the hat stand, all ready to leave. Taking her hand, he led her out of the two-storey bungalow, easily the largest house around, and down the winding path that led to the village square.

"We hold all our village Dances here," Anthony said, pointing to the empty village square. "The mid-summer one's in a week or so, I think… The mid-summer Dance is for married couples and pairs engaged to be married. Although eventually, everyone will get to dance with almost everyone else! It gets quite chaotic, especially after everyone's had a drink or two." Anthony chuckled. "Brings back good memories, this place."

Before Riza could comment, she heard someone call Anthony's name. Turning left, she saw a man in a constable's uniform.

"Ah, so the rumours I heard from Sig are true, then?" the man asked. "That the young rascal Tony Briggs is back, and he's brought a lady friend with him?"

Anthony grinned in reply. "Good morning, Mr. Hughes! Allow me to introduce you to my fiancée, Elizabeth."

"A pleasure to meet you, young lady!" Hughes bent lower so he would not tower over Riza. "And might I interest you in a photo of _my_ fiancée? She works at an assistant in the flower shop down the road, but I think she's prettier than all the flowers, don't you think?" He shoved a black-and-white picture of a young lady smiling amidst rows and rows of flowers at Riza, who took an involuntary step back.

"Gracia?" Anthony asked, recognising the woman. "Aye, she's a beauty, Mr. Hughes, but not as pretty as my lovely Elizabeth," he added fondly. Riza blushed as Hughes laughed aloud.

"To each his own!" he said, still snorting in laughter. "Well then, we'll see who's the better couple at the mid-summer Dance!" Hughes winked as Anthony steered Riza away to the adjacent house, which had a red cross sign above its door.

Anthony knocked loudly. "Doctor Rockbell?" he called. The door swung open, but the one at the door was a girl of about sixteen years.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, "my father's away on business. My mother is busy and can't come to the door. How may I help you?"

"Ah… I'd wanted to pay a visit to Doctor Rockbell, but that's okay. I'll just say hi to Mrs. Rockbell then. May I come in?"

As the little daughter of the Rockbells nodded and opened the door wider to admit Anthony and Riza, the head of an older woman peered out of the kitchen.

"Where are your manners, Winry? Invite them in for a snack!" The woman's voice was firm, but not unkindly. Riza assumed she was Mrs. Rockbell, the little girl's mother.

"No, it's alright, Mrs. Rockbell! We've just had breakfast!" Anthony said hurriedly. "I just wanted to introduce you to Elizabeth."

"Ah yes, your young bride." Mrs. Rockbell's eyes twinkled as she stepped into the hallway, wiping her hands on her flour-covered apron. "Yes, I've heard the rumours fly… Have some cookies? I just baked them," Mrs Rockbell insisted, and the couple relented easily; the aroma from the kitchen certainly was tempting!

After the doctor's house, Anthony brought Riza to visit Sig the butcher and his wife Izumi, Rose the tailor's apprentice, Scieska the local school teacher and several members of the clergy. They even met the village mayor, Hohenheim Elric, on his afternoon walk, and he had promptly invited them to his home for tea and to meet his wife, Trisha, and his two sons, Edward and Alphonse.

* * *

Riza lay in the semi-darkness that night, reading by the candlelight. Anthony had invited her to The Black Bear to gossip with the other villagers, but Riza, claiming that she had a headache, had chosen to stay back.

Truth was, she wasn't used to the easy-going nature of the villagers. Everyone seemed to trust everyone else, even her, a total stranger. They were extremely generous too. Besides Mrs. Rockbell's cookies, Riza had eaten lunch with the Curtises and a rich afternoon tea of butter scones at the Mayor's house. Even one of the children in Scieska's class had offered to share some of his lunch with her! Riza wondered if she could ever get used to it.

Also, she wanted to have some time alone to explore the village. The night life here was completely different from that in the city. In London, the streets at night were lit as brightly as if it was day time, and people walked about freely. Here, all activity was concentrated at The Black Bear. No one walked in the streets.

And yet, she longed to get out and enjoy the cool summer breeze. Perhaps if she just slipped out for an hour or so, no one would notice she had gone out…

Ensuring that Anthony's parents were secure in their room, Riza pulled on her dark grey overcoat and sneaked out into the moonless nightshade. Careful to avoid the lighted windows, she walked in the opposite direction of the village. Her eyes adjusted fast to the lack of light, and Riza set out, careful to walk in a straight path.

After the wedding, Anthony would be sure to want to return to town. He didn't trust his business associates enough to keep away from work any longer than he needed to. Riza wondered if she would miss Gieseborough and it's inhabitants. _Perhaps so_, she thought. _After all, I've always wanted to see the countryside and experience its peace._ At the very least, she would miss Mrs. Rockbell's cookies. Riza smiled as she remembered their crispy sweetness…

She stopped in her tracks. How long had she been walking for? Riza did not know, but she suddenly realised that while the lack of sound in the village had been enjoyable, the silence here was stifling. Turning around, she realised she could no longer see the lights of the Briggs house. She must have taken a turning somewhere, and that turning led her behind some hill that hid the village from sight.

Shivers ran up and down Riza's spine. She was lost in a foreign land, and no one knew she was lost. In the not-so-far distance, a wolf howled, adding to Riza's worries. There were wild animals here. What if one of them threatened to kill her? She had nothing to defend herself with.

Numbly, Riza chose a direction and began to walk, hoping to somehow come into sight with the village. But each step seemed to plunge her into a deeper darkness, if that was even possible. Frightened, she sat on the path and hugged her knees for some warmth.

A hand on her shoulder made Riza jump and scream. She turned to see what seemed like a white mask floating in mid air. Cold sweat ran down her face. She tried to speak, but no words would come.

"I'm not going to harm you," a voice issued from behind the mask, a little muffled. Although the words were soothing, they did little to abate Riza's fears. "Are you lost, lady?"

Riza nodded, still unable to speak. Either this man was going to kill her, or he was going to rescue her from the monster of darkness. She felt something warm slip into her numb fingers, and she realised the masked man was taking her hand.

"Come," he said. "I'll bring you home." The mysterious stranger pulled Riza to her feet and led her on the path.

After what seemed like hours to Riza's hammering heart, the pinpoint lights of civilisation came into view. The masked man continued to lead Riza, until they were on the outskirts of the village, then he stopped and turned to her.

"This is where I leave you, Lady Aphrodite. You will be safe now, and I cannot go any further. Good night." With these words, he kissed her hand and vanished into the darkness.

"Wait!" Riza called. "I don't even know your name, kind sir!" But there was no reply from the night. Sighing, Riza started her lone journey to the Briggs house, her mind still on the masked stranger. With sudden realisation, she remembered what he had called her.

_Lady Aphrodite? The goddess of beauty?_ Riza smiled and blushed. _An interesting man indeed…_


	3. The Vampire of Gieseborough

Chapter Three: The Vampire of Gieseborough

"Elizabeth? You look terrible!" Anthony said, his voice full of concern. Riza simply smiled blearily, stifling another yawn. It was her fifth since she came down for breakfast that morning.

"Did you sleep well?" Anthony continued, "Or is the bed too hard? Too soft? The room too hot?"

Riza shook her head. "The bed and the room are fine," she assured Anthony. "Just… not used to this place, I guess…" She shrugged, washing her toast down with some coffee. "It's too quiet. But I'll be fine."

The pair went down into the village after breakfast, as they had the day before. Curiously, Riza glanced at the path leading behind the house, the path she had taken last night, and where she had last seen her shadow-shrouded saviour.

"Where does that path lead to?" she asked. Anthony followed her gaze.

"Oh, nowhere," he replied lightly, "or at least not for a few hundred miles. After lots of wild uninhabited hand is the deep forest. But no one ever dares to go in that direction, because of that." He pointed to a shadowy figure atop a hill.

"What's that, and what so scary about it that keeps people so far away?" Riza asked, confused.

"That's Sulvari Castle," Anthony explained in a hushed whisper, as though afraid of someone of something overhearing them. "And it's an evil place because… Well, I think I'll let Vato Falman tell you. He's the best storyteller in these parts, and he always remembers all the facts."

* * *

"You want to know about Sulvari Castle?" Vato asked, looking up from his lunch of fried potatoes and chicken. It was lunch hour at The Black Bear, and many men have come in from all over the village to partake their midday meal together. Besides, the bartender's widowed sister, Catherine, was a pretty good cook. It was apparently part of the Armstrong family tradition to have daughters proficient in household affairs.

"Yeah, I do," Riza answered, a little defensively, as though she felt Vato was challenging her bravery.

Suddenly, Riza found that everyone in the inn was leaving their unfinished meals and their seats and crowding around her table. Even the bartender and his widowed sister, Catherine, had joined them. She caught a few excited murmurs and realised they had gathered to listen to Vato's story.

At the centre of attraction, Vato Falman surveyed his audience with an air of satisfaction. For generations, the Falman family's good memory and animated storytelling skills made them the unofficial historians of the village. Passing every myth and legend down from father to son, father to son, it was they who made sure the heroic deeds of their ancestors were not forgotten. Besides, in this mundane little village, everyone loved to hear an exciting tale.

Scanning the crowd, Vato was aware that every one of his audience had heard the story before, some even old enough to have heard it three or four times, from his father or grandfather. Their eagerness to hear it again, despite this, was an attribution to the tale's grandeur. With pride, Vato cleared his throat, and as a hush fell over the crowd, he began:

"No one knows when Sulvari Castle was built. For as long as our ancestors can remember, the castle has always been in the hills. It is also not known whether the castle had always been inhabited, but all is known is this: that every month, with the rising of the full moon, a person from this village is found dead of mysterious causes. The person would be discovered the next day, lying lifeless on the street. He would have no injuries, no wounds, except for two puncture marks on his neck. No one ever witnessed these killings, but some people claimed to have seen a humanoid figure, clothed in darkness, leaving the village in the direction of Sulvari Castle.

"These killings continued, and our ancestors lived in fear, until someone came up with an idea. The ritual we are all familiar with: leaving bread, wine, raw meat and fresh fruit in the fields between here and the castle, every day before a full-moon night. This seemed to work well enough, for when this ritual started, the number of strange deaths lessened and lessened, until there came a time where they stopped completely. Every time we lapsed in our ritual, someone would be found dead the next morning. But as long as we kept it up, we and our families were safe. So it has been until this day."

Having finished his story, Vato looked up at his audience. Most of them were nodding in approval, either at the intelligence of their ancestors, or at a story well spoken. One person, however, frowned.

"You mean you still leave food out once every month?" Riza asked.

"Yes," Vato answered, nodding.

"And the food disappears every time?"

"Yes."

"And you've been doing this since generations before you?"

Another nod.

"But that can't be right!" Riza exclaimed. "If there is someone that lives in that castle who takes the food, then he must be hundreds of years old!"

"According to legend, over five hundred." Vato was not surprised by the question. "They say vampires are immortal."

"Vampires… Hmph!" Riza huffed. "But no one has seen anything for years…"

From somewhere near the back of the crowd, someone gave a small cough. "I've seen him," a quiet voice spoke up. The villagers almost fell over themselves as each pushed and shove to get a good look at the owner of the voice.

To his embarrassment, Edward Elric, the son of Mayor Elric, found twenty-or-so pairs of eyes staring at him. Even his companion, Winry Rockbell, turned to stare at him in disbelief.

"Okay, well, not face-to-face," Edward confessed, a little awestruck, but clearly enjoying the attention. "When I first heard the story, I was a little dubious too. So the next full-moon night, me and my brother Al sneaked out of the house and hid ourselves at the edge of the forest to watch the food.

"Around midnight, we saw a figure cross the wild grass to where we always lay the food. It was a cloudless night, and we were sitting quite close, so we could see the man... He took the baskets full of bread and stuff, and left the same way he came: across the field."

"You should not have done that, young Master Edward!" Constable Hughes admonished, amidst the shocked murmurs. "What if he had turned and saw you? And fancy dragging your brother along too!"

"I was ten at that time, and I curious," he defended, face flushing with guilt. "And Al wanted to tag along… I would have gone alone…"

The next scolding was not as courteous. "When will you listen to me and stop putting yourself in danger!" Winry shouted, her voice rising with a mix of anxiety and anger. "Why do you always have to make me worry?!"

To this, Edward had no excuse. "Sorry," he muttered, refusing to meet his childhood sweetheart in the eye.

Vato was the only one who expressed more interest than shock in Edward's account. Finally, an eyewitness to the Vampire of Gieseborough! Leaning forward, he asked, an excited gleam in his eye, "So what did he look like?"

Relieved to be rescused from his awkward situation, Edward looked up at Vato. "Everything about him was black: his hair, his cloak, the clothes underneath… Even his gloves were black. Everything was black, that is, except the mask that hid his face from view. That was white."


	4. The Truth that Sets Free

Author's Notes: Thank you all for your kind reviews! They're all greatly appreciated!! I've had a busy weekend, but due to popular demand, Chapter Four is ready for you hungry gothic fiction fans!

* * *

Chapter Four: The Truth that Sets Free

Riza reeled in shock. The suave smooth-talker, the mysterious masked man, the knight who had saved her last night…was a bloodthirsty maniacal vampire? How could that be? Or perhaps he was trying to win her confidence, lure her into his lair… But no, he seemed so genuine. And he hadn't he brought her home safe and sound?

With numb detachment, Riza watched as the villagers, having enjoyed their thrill of the day, went back to their lunches. The two halves of her mind still warred at each other, arguing the possibility that the masked saviour was a vampire. She did not even notice when a warm hand slid into her icy one.

"You don't have to be afraid, Elizabeth darling." Anthony's soothing tenor voice floated into her ear, breaking the grip the realization of the masked man's identity had on her. Suddenly glad for Anthony's company, she squeezed his hand.

"No, its okay, I'm fine," she assured him, smiling to strengthen her claim. Anthony frowned, as though he did not really believe her, but said nothing. Instead, she led her out of the dimly-lit inn and into the bright sunlight.

There was a great bustle in the village square. Rose, the tailor's apprentice, was shouting orders to couple of men, who were trying to set a huge banner up across one end of the open ground. On the other end of the square, Gracia was talking to Mayor Elric about the flower decorations to be used for the mid-summer Dance.

Anthony gave a schoolboy-ish grin as he thought back on his fond memories at previous Dances. It was a night of revelry, when mothers did not mind too much about what their children did. Naturally, it was every kids' dream.

But this year, more than any other year, Anthony felt a strange exhilaration and anticipation for the Dance. Perhaps it had to do with this year's Dance having more meaning to him than any of the other years.

As he indulged in his daydream of dancing with Elizabeth, his fiancée was being dragged across the courtyard by Rose and Glacier to talk about what they planned to wear for the Dance. By then, Winry Rockbell had joined them, and Riza, glad for the distraction, happily put in her opinion as to whether a pink gown or a blue one complimented her skin colour and pale hair better.

But that night, Riza could no longer put of thinking about what she had learnt at The Black Bear. Although she did not want to admit it, she had been rather taken in by the stranger's warm baritone. Unlike Anthony, who spoke with an air of pride and pomp, and who always called her 'Elizabeth' because it 'sounded more grand', there was a quiet sincerity and assurance in the phantom stranger's voice. She had imagined the stranger's handsome face behind his cold, expressionless mask, full of concern for her, unlike Anthony, who, she knew, was wedding her for social status and prestige.

Riza did not want to be a china doll: to sit in Anthony Briggs' living room, and smile at and make light conversation with strangers who came to visit. No, the adventurer in her wanted to voyage in the sea of passion, to love and be loved in return.

And she desperately wanted to see the masked figure again. It didn't matter whether he was a vampire or not, or even if he loved her or not; she _was_ curious about all that, and she was willing to risk death to find out the truth. But above all, her heart desired him: to know him, to see his face, handsome as she'd imagined, and to hear his warm voice again.

Tossing her bedcovers aside, Riza swung her legs out of bed. A steely determination had risen in her, and it would not die down. She _had_ to know.

Dressing quickly, and drawing her overcoat over her shoulders, Riza sneaked out of the guest bedroom. She paused in the hallway. It was a long way till the full moon, and there was little moonlight to see by. Looking around, Riza spotted a lantern sitting conveniently on the dining table. She looked thoughtfully at the rifle that hung over the fireplace, no doubt the very weapon Squire Briggs used for the occasional hunts he'd gone for when he was still in his prime days. Considering it, she shook her head. A rifle would take two hands to fire properly, and she could not afford two hands when she also had a lantern to hold. On the mantelpiece, however, were a pistol and a red whip, also tools of the hunt. The pistol would do.

Tucking it into the pocket of her overcoat, Riza checked the oil in the kerosene lamp, and set out into the night.

* * *

"Out for another midnight stroll, Lady Aphrodite?" Riza jumped and spun to face the source of the voice, her free hand flying to the pocket of her overcoat as she did so. Although she had been careful to look around for signs of anyone approaching, she did not notice the masked figure until he spoke. Perhaps he, being a creature of the shadows, could control them to hide him?

Riza shook the thought from her mind. She was putting too much weight on a myth. Forcing herself to stay calm, she pulled her hand away from her pocket and smiled.

"Yes," she replied coolly. "I came to find you."

"Oh?" The voice sounded amused. "I am honoured that such a beauty would make the effort to travel so far on so dark a night."

Riza shrugged. "I was curious," she admitted. "And… I never got the chance to thank you last night. You left so fast."

The masked figure waved her thanks aside with a gloved hand. This close, Riza could see that the black leather glove was adorned with a red symbol. Frowning, she squinted to examine it, but it made no sense to her. The symbol consisted mainly of a few geometric shapes and a lizard-like creature, all encased in a circle. Noticing her gaze, the masked figure withdrew his hand into the folds of his black cloak.

Gesturing down the path back to Gieseborough, he bowed and said, "After you, sweet lady."

They walked side-by-side in silence for a while. Then Riza said, "If I may have your name, kind sir, so I may thank you properly…" She trailed off, not wanting to sound as if she was being intrusive.

"My name is immaterial," came the short reply.

Riza frowned. Things weren't going according to plan. "Oh… Right! I'm Riz…Elizabeth. And if you had not found me last night, I would probably have died of fright!" She faked a laugh, then tried another tactic. "What were you doing out there in the wilderness, anyway? Do you live around here?"

She glanced at the stranger, but his mask hid all emotions from her view. The stranger nodded. "Yes… I suppose you could say I'm a hermit. I live alone here, away from all civilisation. And… I was looking for company last night." He fell silent, apparently lost in thoughts.

_Poor lonely soul! _Riza thought. _So he's just a loner, living in the forest, misunderstood by the villagers…_ Riza felt her heart grow heavy with pity for this stranger whose name and face she did not know. She so wanted to reach out and touch his face… To let him know she believed in him, and was always there for him…

"You must be a handsome man," she ventured. "You don't have to be shy. Why don't you take off your mask?" She reached out her hand, as if to do it for him.

To her surprise, the stranger recoiled from her reach. "No!" he cried. "Stay back!" Puzzled by his reaction, Riza tried to reassure him, but for every step she took in his direction, the stranger retreated by two.

Finally losing her patience, Riza shouted, "You won't tell me your name or your history, and you won't even show me your face. Who are you, exactly? The people of Gieseborough tell me a vampire used to terrorise their village, and still lives in these parts. Are you telling me now that their legendary vampire is a coward?"

For a few tense moments, neither of them moved, both staring at the other. Then, the white mask turned away from Riza, and sighed.

"For years, I have hidden myself. I _am_ ugly, and I wear this mask to hide my hideousness from everyone, including myself. All my years as a vampire, I have been feared. And now, finally, someone sees me for who I really am: a coward…" He paused, as Riza waited, her breath held fast. Was he confessing to her? Or did he intend to make her one of his victims, to remind the villagers that the Vampire of Gieseborough was more than just a myth. Her heart thumped fast with adrenaline. Then, just as she felt she could not take the tension any longer, the melodious voice spoke again.

"Perhaps it is time I shed this mask and let another in on my secret…"


	5. Unmasked

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews guys! Here are a few replies:

**jacksparrow589**: The song is an interesting thought. Didn't realise how much it fits until you pointed it out! Thanks for sharing!

**Perennial Rhinitis**: Well, Chaotic Lullaby's fic and mine were written for the same contest. But of course, she's a much better writer than I am! And I'll remember about the character stereotyping. But you must admit, Riza isn't all that petite.

**Chaotic Lullaby**: laughs Yes, Riza with the rifle would be interesting. But it takes too much time to aim and fire...

**Emerald Leviney**: Thanks for your support! Here's the update, as you wanted!

And now, here's Chapter Five. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Five: Unmasked

"_Doctor! Doctor! How's my son?" A distressed high-pitched voice echoed in the room._

"_Your son will live, Ma'am. Don't worry. However..." A pause, and a sigh. "Be prepared to accept the fact that he might have some slight changes in his personality."_

_The voice dropped to a whisper. "I must warn you, Sir and Ma'am. Your family might be safe for now, but come next full-moon, you will be in great danger."_

"_No. He's our little boy. He wouldn't harm us, I'm certain of that."_

"_Ah yes…" The doctor's voice trailed off as he hesitated, then came back with a fresh urgency and determination. "But he's no longer your little boy. He has… changed..." _

_Silence, punctuated by quiet sobs. Then a man's voice, quietly, though echoing through the silence as though it had been shouted:_

"_Doctor, we are prepared to pay. We have money, and we will give you anything if you can…"_

"_There is _nothing_ I can do." There was a tinge of irritancy, which turned to sympathy as someone let out a loud wail. "I'm sorry, Count Mustang. Alchemists are still researching, but no one has found a cure for vampirism yet."_

_The door closed gently, as stifling silence flooded through the room again. The young teenager who lay on the bed opened his eyes. It did not occur to him that he was in a strange room, or that he had just gone through a supernatural experience. All he knew was that there were two live humans in the room with him; he could hear their quickened heartbeats, and smell the iron in their warm, fresh blood. And he was hungry. So very hungry…_

_He rose to his feet in one swift movement that made Duchess Mustang yelp. The boy did not recognise the two humans as his parents; he only saw them as a way to curb his hunger. He grabbed the woman with his strong hands. Ignoring the shouts from the human male, and the woman's fingernails clawing at his face and hands, the boy drew his mouth close to her neck. Excitement pulsed through him as desire made his mouth water._

No!_ The part of him that was still Master Mustang let out a shout that pushed its way past his vampire instincts .In fear and alarm of what he had almost done, he pushed his mother away from him. Horror took over his body. _I need to get away from here!_ He muttered a quick apology, turned, and fled out of the window into the night, the salt of his tears stinging his eyes._

* * *

The stranger reached up slowly and removed his mask. As he turned around to face Riza, she could not stop herself from letting out a small gasp. The lamp fell from her hand, The glass shattered on impact, and immediately the grass, drenched in kerosene, began to burn, though Riza took no notice.

Beneath the mask was pale skin, almost as white as his mask. This only provided a stark contrast to the man's wine-coloured lips, stained with the red pigments of his many victims' blood. As he lifted his face in the firelight, Riza saw that his bloodshot eyes had slits for pupils, like a cat's, or a snake's. As the man, no, the vampire opened his mouth to speak, revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth, Riza resisted the urge to run.

The stranger gave her a pained smile and bent over the flames control them, leaving only a small glow to see by. "I see your repulsion," he told her. His voice, having lost the muffled quality of the mask, was strong and seductively sweet, in ironic contrast to his appearance.

"You need not hide it from me," he continued, as Riza started to shake her head in denial. "I have seen the horror on my victims' faces, before they died, of course." A flash of pain showed briefly in the vampire's red eyes at the memory.

"My name is…was Roderick von Mustang. I was the son of a Count and the daughter of a foreign prince. My parents died over half a millennium ago, and as you can see, I have lived long after their years.

"I contracted my condition, for want of a better word, at age fourteen. I was young and naïve then, and I didn't believe in vampires or werewolves. Never did I expect to meet on that night in Spooky Wood, much less become one. After almost succeeding to bite my mother, I fled and lived in solitary since then, trying to control my desire for blood, and limiting myself to one night every month: the full-moon night, when my urge was the strongest…"

Despite her fear, Riza felt her heart filling with pity for what she would have otherwise considered a monster. After all, this Roderick von Mustang had not chosen to walk this path, much like herself not having chosen to marry the rich banker Anthony Briggs. They were both a victim of circumstances. Overcoming her repulsion and horror, she reached out a hand to Roderick in comfort and reassurance.

"You are indeed most kind, Elizabeth." Riza flinched at the use of her given name. Although it was the name she had given the vampire to call her, in truth, the only one who ever used that name now was Anthony.

"Call me Riza. And this has got nothing to do with kindness." _Its misery finding company in its own kind,_ she added silently. "So what happened then?" she prompted.

"I continued to drink blood every month, and continued to hate myself for it. I wanted to stop, but I couldn't…" He paused for a while, then continued, "You said you heard from the villagers that I am a vampire. They probably told you how they got the attacks to stop too. I imagine they're rather proud of the tale."

Riza grinned. "Yes, they are. Did quite a lot of bragging their local vampire, and how they kept him at bay with a tribute of food."

Roderick nodded. "The food certainly helped," he said, "but they did not stop the urges completely. A vampire who consumes blood regularly does not need to eat normal food, but one that tries to starve himself of human blood needs to eat to keep up his strength. The pig's and cow's blood in the lifestock they gave me also helped sustain my hunger. But human blood is still the sweetest, and initially there were times where I craved it so badly, and my vampire instincts took over so completely, that I succumbed to the natural desires of my race." Riza noted the bitterness in his voice as he said the last word.

"Eventually, I learnt to curb them, but I still hated myself. My features, though not as distinct as when I took a regular dosage of blood, were still prominently vampire-like. Every time I saw my reflection, I saw those reminders of who I am, and I could not bear it. I was once handsome, and I wanted to be handsome again! So I made this mask that I wear to hide my face from the world, and from myself. That's how I've been living, for the past century or so…" He trailed off, apparently finished with his story.

For a moment, the two stood in silence. Question after question rushed through Riza's mind, but she did not know which to ask first, nor did she know how to react to Roderick's revelation: excitement at meeting a legendary vampire, fear that he might succumb to his "urges", or disappointment that his story did not contain much blood and gore.

Roderick spoke again, cutting through her thoughts. "It will be sunrise soon, my lady Riza. Come, I will walk you home."

Glancing at the slim, crescent moon that had peeked out from behind the clouds, Riza saw that he was right, although she did not want to leave him. She still had her questions, and she was afraid that she might never get the chance to see him again. "I don't want to leave you…" she told him simply.

"Nor I you. It was a pleasure meeting you, Riza. When I was human, I was admired as a bright boy. My parents were proud of me because they could show their 'brilliant little Roy' off to their friends and relatives. My classmates made friends with me so they could copy my homework. Then, when I became a vampire, I was feared and shunned. People ran from me, and gave me food out of fear that I might harm them. No one had shown me real sympathy. No one…but you, Riza. Thank you… Perhaps, if fate allows, we will meet again."

Riza nodded. "Yes, we will meet again. My heart tells me so."

They walked on in silence slowly, both merely wanting to enjoy the company of the other. Although she could not say why, Riza felt really happy for the first time since her engagement to Anthony Briggs was announced. This was not the thrill of solving a mystery, or the exhilaration of being free from Anthony's stifling manners. No, it was something more, and if only Riza knew what it was…

They had reached the edge of the village. Roderick stopped in his tracks.

"I would like to walk you to your doorstep, my lady Aphrodite, but I dare not go where temptation so abounds. But I will watch you from here, so I will know you are safe… Fare thee well, Riza, fair lady."

Riza hid her sadness behind the curtain of a smile. "Farewell, Count Mustang, lord of the night. Till we meet again."

Roderick bowed and retreated into the shadows, until only the sickly glow of his eyes remained to be seen. Riza turned and started her journey back.

Slipping through the kitchen door, Riza managed to evade notice and reached her bedroom just as the first rays of dawn touched the horizon. At the edge of the forest, a cloaked figure was visible, but only just. Catching her gaze, Roderick bowed once more, and with the billowing of his cape in an invisible wind, vanished into the darkness.


	6. A Midsummer Night's Dream

Chapter Six: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Riza had a busy time over the next few days. With the eminence of the mid-summer Dance, the whole village was thrown into frenzied excitement. Every helping hand was welcome, and so, Riza spent her time doing flower arrangements with Gracia, chopping garlic and peeling onions for Catherine, and cutting lengths of cloth for Rose to sew together for banners and gowns.

While Riza enjoyed herself helping out in what she felt to be a proper rural ritualistic gathering, all the busy work exhausted her such that she had little time to think about the vampire Roy Mustang, much less sneak out at night to find him. When she went to bed each night, however, she felt his presence in her room, as though he was there, hiding in the shadows. Her dreams were also always riddled by shadows and full-moons, blood-shot eyes and yellowish fangs, black cloaks and white masks.

Once or twice, she saw a handsome man with black hair neatly combed back and a neat set of sparkling white teeth. Each time, she was in a different scenario with the man: in a Elizabethan dress waltzing with him; on horseback leaning against against him, her hands around his waist; beside him drinking wine on a gondola, sailing down one of the winding rivers of Venice… But the dreams always ended the same way: the handsome man grew red eyes, and his charming smile turned into a leer, revealing pointed fangs. He would reach over her, his mouth aiming for his neck. But she always woke up before his teeth sank in.

Riza did not know what to make of these dreams. The shadows should have frightened her, and the thought of a vampire about to kill her, or convert her, should have sent shivers down her spine. But she was not afraid of her supposed nightmares. Every night before she slept, she felt an excitement of meeting the vampire again, and every morning when she woke up, she felt a sense of disappointment that the night had gone, taking the dreams with it.

The mid-summer Dance was held a week after the night Riza last saw Roy. Although preparations had been going well, there were always last minute things to do. Someone had stolen some of the flowers Gracia had placed around the village square for decorations. Only a few flowers were gone from each bunch, as though the thief tried hard to make his deed as unnoticeable as possible, but Riza, having helped with the flower arrangements, knew exactly what was missing, and she and Gracia ran around the whole day, trying to replace those flowers. It was later found out that the thief had been Edward Elric, the mayor's older son, who had wanted to present his childhood sweetheart, Winry, with a bouquet at the Dance that night. Considering the occasion, Gracia had forgiven Edward, and even found a length of lace to tie the bouquet together.

The delicious smell of roast chicken, shepherd's pie, treacle pudding and filled the courtyard as night approached. Gracia had baked an apple pie, and Mrs Rockbell had contributed some of her delicious cookies. Alex the bartender was seated next to the table full of food, to keep hungry little hands from stealing a bit of pudding or a cookie, or even a drop of ale, before the celebrations started.

Soon, night had really fallen. As the full moon unveiled itself from its robe of clouds, the villagers gathered around Mayor Elric as he gave a speech that was to be the start of the Dance. Hohenheim, knowing that everyone was eager to start dancing and drinking, kept his speech short, and took the lead on the dance floor with his wife Trisha, as Jean Havoc, one of the clergymen, started a lively tune on the fiddle.

Soon, the centre of the village square was filled with dancing couples. Edward, blushing, had asked Winry for a dance, and as the pair passed Constable Hughes and Gracia on the dance floor, he winked at the young teenager, who flushed an even brighter red. Alphonse, watching his elder brother, chuckled at his embarrassment, but blushed himself as Rose asked him for a dance.

Riza found herself with a long line of men wanting to dance with her. Our of courtesy, she'd let Squire Briggs take her first dance. She had barely had time to recover from the boisterous dance when Alex Armstrong grasped her hands and led her into a spinning tango that made her giddy. As she sat down to have a drink, Jean Havoc, who'd relinquished his role as musician to Vato Falman, came over and insisted that he absolutely must have a dance with the loveliest lady in town tonight. Riza had to go through three more dances before she could finally get away from the dance floor.

"Six songs and you haven't danced with me yet." Riza nearly choked over her wine as a voice whispered in her ear. She turned around, half expecting a white mask, but it was only Anthony Briggs. Giving a soft sigh of relief and disappointment, Riza forced a smiled at him.

"Too bad," she told him mischievously. "Six other men beat you to it."

Feinting sadness, Anthony said, "I shall have to book you in advance then. How about the next piece?"

Riza was feeling really tired by now, but she could not afford to disappoint her fiancé. She nodded, praying that the next piece would be something with a slow tempo.

As the current song came to its explosive end, many couples left the dance floor panting. Grinning, Anthony pulled Riza to her feet to the centre of the courtyard. Seeing the couple, Vato winked knowingly at Jean, who was sitting close by with a drink in hand. The former raised his bow high and started a slow romantic piece, _Canon in D_. Jean set his glass down, picked up his own violin, and started to play the second melody.

On the dance floor, the other couples had moved to the sides to give Anthony and Riza the spotlight. They spun slowly, Anthony's warm hand encompassing Riza's smaller one. He smiled as he whispered in her ear, "You're beautiful, Elizabeth darling…"

Somehow, Riza could not bring herself to look into Anthony's eyes. She closed her eyes, imagining that she was dancing with Roy Mustang, as she had in her dreams. She saw his smooth hair glinting in the moonlight, his warm black eyes looking straight at her, love and happiness written in them. If she could convince herself she was dancing with Roy, and not with Anthony, she would not have to fake a smile to show Anthony she was enjoying the dance.

Suddenly, a scream cut through the soothing music, followed by more shouts. Riza opened her eyes. All around her, people were running. In the background, she could see flames springing up. The whole courtyard was on fire.

"Riza, come on! We have to go!" She felt Anthony tug on her hand, and tried to run. But her legs were like lead from too many dances. Losing her balance, Riza fell. Shouts of "Fire!" echoed around her as people rushed to protect their homes and to fetch water. Riza tried to get up, but a sharp pain in her right leg told her that she had twisted her ankle. There was nothing to do but to wait for help.

Soon, the shouts died down. Everyone, including Anthony, had gone. No one had noticed the lady left behind in the middle of the village square. As the fire spread, Riza tried to drag herself out of the way, but she could not get far. Searching the shadows for someone that could help her, her breath caught in her throat as she spotted something white moving towards her from the space behind a house.

The flickering flames cast a sinister red glow on the white mask as its wearer strode over. "Roy!" Riza called, relieved. But her elation soon gave away to fear as the masked figure reached down and grabbed her wrist, pulling her forcefully to her feet.

"Roy! What's going on?" Riza asked, swallowing a scream of pain and fright. "Please stop! You're hurting me!"

"As have you," Roderick von Mustang hissed through his mask. More flames shot out behind him as he gave Riza's wrist a twist, making her gasp in pain. "You've betrayed me!"

Hurt and confused, Riza asked, "How so? And what's the meaning of this? Do you want to burn the village down? Let go of me, you brute!"

At Riza's words, Roy let go of her wrist. Without the support holding her up, Riza tumbled to the floor. She looked up at Roy, but the vampire had turned his back to her.

"I had loved you, Riza Hawkeye," he said sadly. "I had loved you, and you gave your love to another…"

Tears sprang to Riza's eyes. How could she explain? How could she tell him all that was in her heart? She loved him, she knew now. Why else would she be so hurt to see the vampire in distress at her supposed disloyalty? But how could she tell him that, when she owed her allegiance to another? Desperate to comfort him, Riza opened her mouth to speak.

"Elizabeth!" A shout from behind startled her. Distracted, she turned to see Anthony, sword in one hand and gun in the other. "Get away from her, foul fiend!"

Riza heard Roy give a small snort. "The fool, he dares to steal my love, then confront me about it!" he muttered. With a flourish of his cloak, Roy vanished into the night, leaving behind Riza and a very bewildered Anthony.

Dropping both sword and gun, he ran to her. "Elizabeth, are you hurt? What a fright you must have had!"

Anthony continued to fuss over her, even though Riza assured him time and again that she was absolutely fine, save a twisted ankle. As villagers came with buckets of water to put the flames out, Anthony brought Riza to Doctor Rockbell's house, where the latter bound her leg up and offered her the patient's room to sleep in.

Despite the herbal mixture of wormwood that Mrs Rockbell had given her to aid her sleep, Riza stayed wide awake long after Anthony had returned home. The memory of the vampire's anger, and his words, was still too fresh in her mind.

The vampire's presence was in the room, and where it had been a sweet fragrance before, it was suffocating Riza now. It saddened her to know that she had unwittingly hurt Roy, and she desperately wanted to get up and find him, to explain things to him. But she did not dare. The Rockbells' house was not as near to the edge of the village as the Briggs' estate was. Someone might see her. Balling her fists in frustration, she began to sob. _It's not my fault that this mess is happening_, she thought angrily, _but somehow I feel as though it is. Oh how I wish I could see him!_

_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day, Riza, mistress mine?_

Riza sat up and opened her eyes. She was sure she had just heard Roy's voice, but she could not see him anywhere in the room. Then an amusing thought occurred to her. _He hears my thoughts. And he's reciting _poetry_ to me?!_

_That's right._ Roy's tenor resonated in her mind, clear as a bell. The disembodied voice chuckled at her amazement. _Thou art more lovely and more temperate._

Suddenly eager to prove herself to Roy, she thought fervently, _Oh Roy! I'm so sorry! I… _Riza hesitated, unsure of how to continue.

_I know, Riza. I have seen your feelings and I understand… Though you are pledged to another, I know you love me, and that's enough for now…_ Riza could sense Roy's restrained disappointment in his voice, and anger slowly ebbed into her mind. This wasn't the way things were supposed to be. She wanted to be happy!

_Take me with you, Roy! Take me anywhere, away from this forbidding place!_

_No! _Roy's voice was firm. _I cannot take you with me. This is… Our love is forbidden. Mother would not approve… I'm surprised she has not cast me out of the family yet._

Riza frowned in confusion. _Mother?_

_The head of my vampire family. _The reply was curt and distant. _I must go._ _I have said too much, and you need to rest too. We should not meet again, Elizabeth Heinswen. Goodbye._

_Wait, _Riza thought desperately, not wanting to be cut away so coldly. But Roy was already gone.


	7. The Matriarch of House Narya

Chapter Seven: Matriarch of the House Narya

Roy leaned against the back of the Rockbells' cottage, his hand on is forehead. It had taken all his willpower to break off his mind contact with Riza, and he knew that if he were human, his heart would be thumping like a Japanese taiko drum now… Roy closed his eyes. _Steady_, he thought, _steady Roderick von Mustang. Such excess feelings are a weakness!_

Gathering his resolve, he pushed away from the wall, wiped away the few tears that had sprang forth unbidden to his eyes, and started the journey home. But as he neared his destination, he looked up at Sulvari Castle, and what he saw nearly drained his strength.

Flickering candlelight poured out of the windows on the first floor. Someone was in the castle waiting for him.

"Mother…" he whispered, his hand shaking a little. Ever since his first encounter with Riza, he had been waiting for the day the matriarch of the vampire Family to visit him. Waiting and dreading…

Still, there was no avoiding it. He had to face the consequences of what he had done.

It took what seemed like ages for Roy to walk the rest of the distance to the castle. Even at it's huge wooden front doors, he hesitated. But the handle turned on its own accord, and the door swung open with an ominous creek. There was no escape now.

He was past the point of no return.

"Don't just stand there, Roy, you silly boy," a faint voice emitted from the entrance hall. "Come in…"

Swallowing his fear, Roy obeyed. A figure was seated on the couch facing the fireplace, which was alight with dancing flames, though there was no wood to fuel them. Although her back was turned to Roy, he did not need to see her face to recognise that hairstyle: sleek black hair pulled back into a maternal bun and held into place with a silver hairpin which head bore the exact same design on Roy's gloves, set in ruby stones.

"Mother," Roy greeted her, bowing respectfully. The woman waved away the greeting with a jewel-encrusted hand.

"Sit," she instructed firmly, and Roy, not daring to argue, lest it invoked Mother's anger, did so.

They sat in silence for a while, neither saying anything. Roy watched as Mother sipped tea from a china teacup, her eyes closed as if in enjoyment She hadn't changed one bit: soft wrinkles creasing her face marked with a slight smile, a thin, frail-looking body that hid her real powress, and habits that were almost-annoyingly human. She could easily pass off as a doting grandmother of a bunch of happy kids.

Then she opened her bloodshot eyes so full of strength and determination, and all of Roy's gentle thoughts of her fell away. No one's grandmother would have such fierce eyes!

Setting down her teacup, Mother finally turned to Roy. "I'm sure you know why I have come here, Roy Mustang," she said sternly. "State your crime against the House Narya, and against the Brotherhood of Reformed Vampires!"

Roy held Mother's gaze for as long as he could, and replied, "I have fallen in love with a mortal woman, Mother. I have sinned."

Mother smiled, as though the answer pleased her. "So long as you know what you have done wrong," Mother said, leaning back into her chair, "and what you must do to amend your sin."

"Yes…" Roy said, slumping down in his seat. "I must break contact with this mortal. I must never see her again." His tone was flat and emotionless as he said this.

"Good! And you also know that if you fail to do so, you risk being disowned from the Family, or worse…" The expression on Mother's face suddenly softened as she reached out to pat Roy on the arm. "I don't know why you're so worried, my dear… You have suitors enough within the vampire Families! What is it about this girl that has moved your heart so badly, I wonder?"

"She doesn't fall over herself to get my attention, Mother." Roy felt the tears coming, and squeezed his eyes shut to stop them. "She's cool in the face of danger, she doesn't need a gown to feel pretty, she treats everyone the same, mortal or vampire… And above all, she looks cute, without even trying."

By this time, anger had taken over Roy, in addition to his other emotions. Unable to sit still, he got up and paced the room. This was his fault! And his weakness had made him hurt someone whom he loved, the way he'd almost hurt his own mother so many years ago… Roy felt disgusted with himself, disgusted with the world around him, and disgusted with Mother for sitting there, taking everything so calmly.

For indeed, Mother seemed unmoved by Roy's declaration. Even as Roy paced, she sat still as a statue, except to move her hand to bring the teacup from the saucer to her lips, and back again.

Desperate to pour out his emotions, he turned on her. "Why Mother?" he asked angrily. "Why must we love, only to hurt those we do? Why must I suffer this long life as a vampire, destined to ruin lives everywhere I go? Why?"

Mother set down her teacup with a loud chink that broke through Roy's diatribe of self-pity. "I do not have the answers for you, my son," she answered coldly. "Find them for yourself. You have a couple more centuries to do so." Roy stared at her in shock. Formidable though she was, Mother always had a comforting word to her 'children' who were finding difficulty coping with their identity as a vampire. So why the harshness now?

Sighing, Mother turned away. "I'm sorry, Roy, my child…" she said, "We have all gone through this stage of our near-eternal lives: your brothers and sisters, and even me. We have all committed this fatal mistake at least once in our lifetimes. But you know why mortals and vampires can never be happy together, don't you? When your mortal lover dies, you will be left more lonely and heartbroken than before. And the years you spend with her, you will live with the temptation to take her blood. You must stay away from the Family too, or risk one of us succumbing to the same temptation. We of the Brotherhood of Reformed Vampires have taken the oath never to drink human blood again, as a last respect to what we were, and the penalty of breaking that oath is eternal starvation.

"The only way around this is to turn your love into one of us, by biting her on the neck and letting the poison that makes us vampires flow into her veins. But can you bear to make your love suffer like you do now, unable to walk freely in the sunlight, unable to live in a normal society, and craving day and night for the sweetness of warm, human blood? I know this hurts, and I hate to tell you this too, but it's best that you give her up now. I'm sorry…" Mother lowered her head, and as Roy watched, he saw two teardrops ooze out of under her eyelids and make their way down into her cup of tea.

"Mother…" Roy did not know what else to say that would comfort her.

"I had loved once, too…" Mother said, softly. "That was a long time ago… So long ago… He was such a handsome man too…" She smiled and shook her head. "I couldn't let go, and in the end I caused his death. He was accused of being involved with vampires, and the townsmen chased him until he fell into a river and drowned… That was foolish of me…"

"I didn't know…" Roy said, putting a comforting hand around the matriarch. "I'm sorry, Mother. I know now what I must do."

He smiled grimly at the thought. It wasn't going to be an easy task, but he had to try his best, for Riza's sake.


	8. A Bride's Dilemma

Chapter Eight: A Bride's Dilemma

Gossip flew like the summer birds over the next few days. The villagers of Gieseborough were both afraid the vampire would return to finish off the sleepy town, and excited to see the legend their grandfathers told them of come true. Mayor Elric and Constable Hughes set up a night watch in case the vampire was sighted again, and many of the men signed up to join. Not wanting to miss the fun, some of the younger lads, Edward Elric included, tried to participate, but were promptly sent home.

For the first time since she arrived at Gieseborough, Riza found that much of the excitement in the village centred on her. Despite there being no eye-witnesses to the event, apart from Anthony Briggs, word quickly spread that the vampire was seen confronting her, and people clamoured to hear her story. Riza's reply was always the same: that the vampire had turned on her simply because she was the only living person in sight, and that he had threatened to kill her, like he had done to so many others long ago. Not many people believed this mundane version of events, but as Riza stuck to her story, the disappointed villagers soon decided to leave her alone.

Within a month, the tension in the village had died down. There had been no further sightings of the mysterious vampire, nor any strange fires springing up, and eventually the villagers turned their attention to the next big event that summer: Anthony and Riza's wedding.

* * *

"There, all done!" Rose proclaimed as she stuck the last pin into the white gown Riza was wearing, and stood back to admire the effect.

"You look wonderful, Miss Heinswen!" Winry trilled. Glacier nodded enthusiastically. Blushing slightly at the attention, Riza got up and walked to the full-length mirror in Rose's tailor shop. She gave a little gasp.

The white gown boasted of a low neckline that hinted of a full bosom. The long sleeves made of lace were designed to show Riza's thin shoulders. Winry had helped sew sparkling jewels onto the material so that her arms glittered as she moved them. Giving an experimental twirl, Riza felt the swish of the heavy material that made the train of the gown as it trailed in the dusty ground after her.

"Careful now!" Rose exclaimed, snatching the train up, "or you'll dirty the gown even before your wedding day."

Riza grinned in reply. "I appreciate the effort the three of you have put into this," she told her companions. "I've always wanted to get married in a white dress…" She trailed off as her thoughts and daydreams took over.

"And you will, of course, Miss Heinswen!" Winry, Glacier and Rose exchanged worried looks as Riza's exuberant expression turned into one of sad thoughtfulness. "Is anything wrong? Maybe the dress is too long? Too tight?"

Riza shook her head, smiling slightly. "It's not the dress, Winry," she assured the girl, who immediately gave a sigh of relief. Riza hesitated, then continued, "The dress is everything I wanted, and even more! But… The man I am to marry is not…"

Silence greeted Riza's words. Unable to face the others, Riza looked at the ground, her face burning with shame. Now she had said it, she wished she hadn't. To say such things to people who had known her fiancé all their lives, no, to say such things to anyone, was just not right. But Riza didn't think she could have held it back any longer. Her marriage had been on her mind for the past month, since Roy had set fire to the village square. Riza had tried to imagine a happy marriage with Anthony, but flames always came into the picture, destroying, burning, tearing them apart. And Roy's image was ever present, like an ominous shadow over the marriage.

Winry laughed feebly. "You're just feeling nervous about the big day, right?" She looked at her uncomfortably, as though she herself was unsure of what she was saying. Riza sighed. Since she had gotten herself into this trouble, she might as well stick through it.

"No, Winry," she told the younger girl gently. "It's just…" Riza took a deep breath before ploughing on.

"I had never wanted to marry Anthony Briggs. The arrangement was made by my parents, who owed Tony a favour. I had no say on this. One moment Tony and my parents were discussing some loan that would help get them out of their debt, and the next thing I knew, I was being bundled off to this place…

"I tried to love him. Really, I did. But until two months ago, I had never thought of myself getting married and settling down. I always imagined myself growing old as a spinster, taking a job as a journalist or something, and caring for my old parents till they moved on to the next world. Never did I think I'd end up trapped in an estate as a rich man's wife, spending my days sipping tea and ordering servants around!

"I thought I had steeled myself for that kind of life. These two months, I tried really hard to accept it, and I thought I had succeeded. But I'm not so sure now. There's another man…"

Riza gave an involuntary sob. Rose, overcome with pity, put an arm around her. The three girls looked from one another to Riza, all unsure of what to say. It was not right to encourage her to leave her fiancé for another man, but neither were they willing to doom her to a loveless marriage.

"Riza," Glacier finally said, "I won't tell you to think this through, because I can see you already have. So I'll give you this one advice: follow your heart."

"But how can I do that when my heart is so confused?" Riza burst out. "I mean, you and Winry are so sure of the paths to take, but me, I haven't got a clue!"

"But neither do we!" Winry protested. "That's the way it is with love! I know you've heard the rumours about me and Ed, and sometimes I'd like to think that they're true, and that we're meant for each other. But at other, more practical times, I'm not so sure. I can't see myself marrying someone who exasperates me all the time!"

"That's right," Glacier nodded. "I'm engaged to Maes, but that doesn't mean I don't question myself constantly if I'm marrying the right man. Maes is too dedicated to his career, and I'm not sure I can take that in my husband… But my heart tells me he's the one, and that's why I'm standing by him."

Riza looked up at her companions through watery eyes. Rose gave arm a little squeeze. "Don't worry about it," she advised. "The answer will come soon enough. Just be ready for it when it comes!"

* * *

Riza lay in bed that night, thinking about the advice the three village girls had given her. She had expected them to admonish her for such thoughts, not give her encouragement and hope.

_Follow my heart_, she thought. But what was her heart telling her? To play the dutiful wife, and let it drive her crazy, as she was sure it would; or to be a stubborn rebel, to chase after a love that was forbidden, that might have been nothing more than a shadow.

With a sigh, Riza threw her blankets aside and moved to the bedroom window. Leaning against the window sill, she looked at the cloudless sky.

The adventurer in her already knew the answer, and had known it from the start. Even if he spurned her love, she just had to see Roy again, even if it was for one last time.


	9. The Last Meeting?

Chapter Nine: The Last Meeting? 

"Good evening, Riza, flower of my heart," a familiar voice greeted her quietly from the shadows, as it had done twice before. Riza turned, and the light from her lamp illuminated the vampiric features of Roy Mustang as he glided towards her. "I cannot deny that my heart gladdens to see you again. But to what do I owe this honour? Surely my last warning was clear enough."

"It was." Riza's voice rang out loud and clear. Having decided to seek the vampire out once more, she had left immediately, always walking towards the ominous outline of Sulvari Castle, although she knew that it was most likely that he would find her first. Her guess, it seemed, was right.

"So why are you here again?" Roy demanded, perhaps a little more harshly than he'd wanted to. "I have told you, our love is forbidden. I cannot, must not, love you."

"But you do!" Riza's voice rose to match Roy's. "And so do I. Don't you think it's rather unfair of you, seducing me with your manners and moving my heart with your pitiful story, and then dumping me like that?" Riza watched Roy carefully for any betrayal of emotions, but the latter's face was an impassive mask, and try as she could, Roy refused to look her in the eye.

"I was rash, I'll admit that much." Roy's tone was level, although Riza thought she could detect a slight hoarseness, as though he was fighting his own feelings. "I was taken by your innocence, your beauty, and most of all, your boldness to come wandering in my territory so late into the night."

"I did not know I was not supposed to come here," Riza explained curtly. "But that's beside the point anyway. You owe me an explanation at least. I am prepared to give anything to be with you, so why are you such a coward?"

If Riza had hoped to provoke Roy into an aggressive reaction by insulting him, she did not achieve it. Instead of retorting, Roy sighed and sat down on the damp ground, staring off into the forest. Riza took a seat beside him quietly, still waiting for his reply.

"I don't think you understand what you're saying, Riza, when you said you are prepared to give anything. No, listen…" He held up a hand as Riza opened her mouth to reply. "Are you prepared to give your humanity? Because that's the cost of marrying a vampire. You have to become one of them."

Riza's eyes widened at this revelation, but still, she refused to give up. "Surely this is just some rule established by the vampire law… You mentioned a 'Mother' the last time. Maybe we can elope… Run away from her, run away from everyone else."

Roy shook his head. "No, there's no other way. To run from Mother is to leave the Family. That is dangerous, because once we leave the protection of the vampire Family, we will be vulnerable to enemies of the vampire race: werewolves, and the like. And trust me, you wouldn't want to be caught by them; they like to play with their food…"

Repressing a shudder, Riza persisted, though with considerably less enthusiasm now. "But… Surely a vampire's life isn't that bad…"

Now Roy let out a short humourless laugh. "The vampire's life, not bad?! Probably not, if you have no conscience. As ruler of the night, you can transform into a host of bats and fly from town to town, picking out your next victim, and no one can stop you. But the flaw in us undead creatures is that our conscience never really dies. Every human you kill to sustain your life is a scar unto your soul. And their screams will keep echoing in your head, until they've driven you mad. And even then, you can't kill yourself to end the torment. You can't even drink to forget, because we don't have any of the blood circulation that helps humans get drunk. The torturous screams just go on, day after day, night after night…

"And what of the other aspects of being a vampire? As natural creatures of the dark, we find something loathsome about the merciless sun that a nice cool drink won't be able to cure. And there are those who think they can vanquish us, the vampire hunters, with their crosses and holy water and wooden stakes. We have an instinctual aversion to holy objects, and while we can train ourselves to suppress those aversions, it is still troublesome to get rid of these people. Some of them are even so skilled we may be forced to kill them to avoid being erased ourselves. Of course, we have an alternative of turning them to our side, make them vampires too, but that is probably more cruel…"

Roy paused, his mouth still open, as though he had more to say. But he shook his head and looked away. "I've had five centuries of experience, Riza. I know what I'm talking about. Don't do this."

"What if I still don't care?" Riza asked. "Now _you_ listen. In a month I shall be getting married to a man I do not want to marry, and start living a life I do not want to live. I don't want to do anything stupid, anything that I will regret for the rest of my life. And between being a vampire and living in a doll's house, I'd rather have the first. At least I get to be with the man, or vampire actually, that I love."

Silence fell between them. Riza glared at Roy defiantly, daring him to argue, but Roy merely shook his head, amused.

"Stubborn, aren't you," he asked. Riza said nothing, but continued to look at him sternly. Finally, he stood up and stretched his back. "Well, my answer is still no. I'm sorry Riza, but it's my fault I'm too soft-hearted to condemn the girl I love to the very lifestyle that I loathe with my very being. Go home to your fiancé; it'll be daylight soon, and he'll be wondering where you've gone to."

"No, wait!" Riza scrambled to her feet, caught unawares by Roy's hasty farewell, and without warning, Roy turned, his arms reaching out to grab her. Suddenly his lips were on hers, breathless yet warm and sweet. Riza's hairclip made a soft thud in the ground as her hair fell loose. Roy, with one hand in Riza's hair, and one hand caressing her back, pressed her body close to his, as though trying to fuse the two together. Riza, stunned at first, soon began to participate passionately in the kiss too, her heart beating in acceleration.

Suddenly, the kiss changed. Roy's hands dug into Riza's back, his lips pulling back to reveal sharp teeth that bit onto Riza's tongue. Swallowing the blood that poured from the wound, Riza tried to push the vampire away, but he was too strong and too blinded by bloodlust. Roy's mouth covered hers fully now, sucking at the blood. She could not breathe…

And then, it was over. With an anguished cry, Roy flung Riza's body away from him. Gasping, she looked up to see Roy wipe his mouth on the back of his hand, and stare in horror at the red pigment that had left its stain on his pale skin.

" Roy…" Riza staggered to her feet and took a step towards the vampire.

"No!" he shouted, moving back. "Don't come near me! I'm a monster, Riza, a monster who will only keep hurting those I love! Don't you see it now?

Roy turned away to hide his anguish and sorrow. "We might have been happy together if the situation was not thus…" he continued bitterly. "Perhaps we will meet again in the next life, Riza, Lady Aphrodite. But in this one, you'd do better to forget I ever existed."

Having said thus, he walked away, and was swallowed up by the darkness.


	10. A Gatecrasher at the Wedding

Chapter Ten: A Gatecrasher at the Wedding

Hidden by the silhouette of the trees, Anthony watched from the outskirts of the forest as the vampire greeted his fiancée. In the darkness, no one saw his eyes glitter with malice. He had suspected Riza's unfaithfulness ever since the mid-summer Dance, because there was no other reason that that vampire, a famed murderer, would threaten the village with fire, but not kill anyone, especially when he already had Riza cornered. Anthony did not believe he had frightened him away with sword and gun, for what was one more victim to a ruthless killer?

He had tried to forget about it, until one of the village girls had let slip in her drunkenness that night, something about Riza's dilemma. Having put two and two together, Anthony made the hard choice to tail his love, and the result of that was right before his eyes: a secret rendezvous between his bride-to-be and the hated vampire.

Even as he congratulated himself for discovering Riza, Anthony pondered over his next step. He couldn't confront Riza; she would just deny it. And neither could he call the marriage off, because then he would have to explain what he had seen, and who would believe anyone could fall in love with a vampire? He would not have believed it either, if the proof was not staring at him right now.

And there was his feelings for his darling Elizabeth…

In a split second, Anthony Briggs made his decision. He would pretend nothing had happened, and go with the wedding as planned. After that, he would take Riza away to live in the city with him. If the vampire dared to interfere with the marriage, or tried to steal Riza away, he would have to eliminate him.

* * *

The next month was filled for Riza with many dress alteration sessions, flower arrangement discussions and wedding banquet menu arguments. Riza never mentioned the "other man" to Rose, Gracia or Winry again, and wisely, they never brought the subject up either, each of them believing that Riza was determined to go through with the wedding, and forget him.

But Riza never forgot Roy. Far from taking her mind of her love, the wedding preparations seemed to intensify the hole that Roy had left in her, and Riza found herself constantly wishing that it was that dark eyed, smiling, mortal Roy of her dreams she was marrying.

The morning of the wedding, Riza woke with a wave of miserable, cold dread. She smiled to herself ruefully. She was getting married, and everyone expected her to be cheerful, but all she felt was a sense of doom. It was like being sentenced to lifelong imprisonment, and in truth, she didn't see the difference. Dressing slowly, she checked her reflection in the mirror. There were dark shadows under her eyes, due to her lack of sleep, though everyone would simply put her insomnia down to excitement. Well, if it was a smiling bride they wanted, Riza would give them just that, even if the smile was a fake one.

As with the mid-summer Dance, there was lots of last minute preparations to do, although most of the villagers insisted that Riza rest and gear up for the wedding. After a quick lunch, Riza was whisked away by Mrs Briggs, Gracia, Rose and Winry to get dressed and have her hair done up. As bridesmaids, Rose and Winry also had to change into their matching light pink gowns.

Finally, at three in the afternoon, when everyone was comfortably seated in the village chapel, the church bells pealed, the double doors opened, and in walked Elizabeth Heinswen, attended by her bridesmaids. Vato Falman and Jean Havoc raised their violin bows and played a slow-paced wedding march. Anthony Briggs, standing at the front of the church, gave Riza the very smile she found most annoying, and it took every bit of her self-control to keep her own smile, and not break down and cry, or bare her teeth and glare at Anthony.

Unbeknownst to the two of them and the rest of the congregation, there sat a man in the far corner watching them closely under his wide-brimmed black hat. The night of their last meeting, as Roy departed from Riza, he had remembered the pleading look in Riza's eyes, and the subsequent disappointment as he had refused her wish. Then he, too, had made a decision.

Wrong though it was for vampire and mortal to come together, he would save Riza from her miserable marriage, at whatever the cost. He would sit in at Riza's wedding, disguised, and if Riza showed any signs of hesitation, he would take her away. Where they would go, and how long he could keep her, was another matter. Perhaps Mother could be persuaded to hide her for a month, and then she could move to France, to Venice, or even to America, and live the life she wanted to live. Surely she would be safe, for no one in their right mind would dream of chasing after her, when she had been kidnapped by a vampire.

Roy now scowled at Anthony's cocky smile. _Insolent fool,_ he thought angrily, _I wouldn't be so proud if I were you, knowing that I had forced a young girl into marriage against her will._ Just seeing Riza walk as though every step pained her grieved Roy, and he longed to hold her, to hug her and to comfort her. But he would have to wait. If Riza had decided to forget Roy and marry this bastard, he showing himself now wouldn't help her at all.

It seemed to Riza to take an eternity to reach Anthony, as though time itself wanted to stop this union. But finally, with a quavering high note from the violins, Riza was beside Anthony Briggs. As he reached out to take her hand, his touch sent icy shivers down Riza spine. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought she might faint from the over-exertion.

Mayor Hohenheim Elric, standing three steps above the pair, smiled down at Riza and addressed the congregation:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the joyous union of this young couple standing here in front of me…"

Riza's hand began to sweat in Anthony's. It was going to happen, she was really going to get married.

"…start of a new chapter in their lives, where they shall cease to be two individuals and become one, joined together in spirit…"

She began to sweat under her lace veil; suddenly, her dress felt too small, too tight.

"… love and devotion, always honouring and respecting each other, and above all, trusting each other…"

Riza blinked a few times to clear her vision. Blood pounded in her head, and she desperately wanted to lie down and have a cool drink.

Major Elric concluded his speech and looked down to face Anthony. "Do you, Anthony Thomas Briggs, consent to take Elizabeth May Heinswen as your wife?"

"I do."

As dark spots continued to burst before her eyes, Riza closed them, and took a few deep breaths. When she opened her eyes again, Major Elric was looking at her. She suppressed another wave of shivers.

"Do you, Elizabeth May Heinswen, consent to take Anthony Thomas Briggs as your husband?"

"I…"

Riza felt though she could not breathe. Her veil felt stifling and restrictive. Pulling her hand away from Anthony's she pulled the veil aside and wiped her forehead.

"I…"

Now her legs started trembling. She looked from the Mayor's worried face, to Anthony's anxious expression, feeling sick. Pulling off her veil, she bent over, hoping she would not dirty her white gown as she threw up.

"Stop!" Riza's head snapped up as a voice rang out from the back of the chapel. As people turned, stunned, Roy stood up and took off his hat with a flourish. Relief washed over Riza as she saw Roy's white mask. Her head cleared immediately, and air returned to Riza's lungs.

Anthony's eyes narrowed as Roy crossed the church floor in a few long strides. "You," he growled, stepping in front of Riza, his hand going to his left hip. "Why are you here? To gatecrash? Or to steal my bride?"

"To stop an ill-fated marriage," Roy answered coolly. "Do not pretend you have not seen it for yourself, Anthony Briggs. Riza does not love you."

"And what if she does not?" Anthony retorted. "It's me she's marrying today." With one quick move, Anthony snapped open the flap on the holster attached to his belt, whipped out a pistol and pointed it at Roy, who merely smiled back.

"Anthony, no!" Riza shouted, grabbing his gun hand. "Think of what you're doing. Do you want to commit a murder in a church?"

"Well, this vampire – " Anthony spat the word out as though it was a curse – "isn't exactly alive, is it?"

Roy flinched slightly, but otherwise remained calm. "Crudely put, but yes," he replied. "But at least I've got feelings for others, not like you, a cocky bastard."

"You…" Anthony spluttered, but Roy ignored him.

"I have come for my one and true love, Riza, to save her from you and the miserable life you can give her. And if you think you can stop me with that gun, you are wrong. You cannot kill me."

Riza felt the muscle in Anthony's arm twitch, and reacted instinctively. Before the bullet had left the gun barrel, Riza had thrown herself in the path between Anthony and Roy. Before anyone could move, the small sphere of metal had pierced Riza's left shoulder. The force of the bullet dragged her backwards, into Roy's arms, as a red spot burst forth on Riza's white gown, like an ominous flower blooming.


	11. On the Border Between Life and Death

Chapter Eleven: On the Border Between Life and Death

Pandemonium erupted. As Mayor Elric, Vato Falman and Maes Hughes rushed to restrain Anthony, the rest of the crowd, with Doctor Rockbell in the lead, surged around Riza and Roy.

Roy reeled with shock and growing dread even as Riza was taken from his hands and laid gently on the ground. The sight of his love, barely conscious, muted his senses, even his instinct for blood. Vaguely, he heard the doctor shouting and people running past him. Someone pushed him out of the circle of people, and Roy fell into a seat, staring blankly at nothing in particular.

With a bang, the church door flung open and Winry came running in with her father's medical kit. Taking it from her, Doctor Rockbell pulled out some surgical gauze and tried to staunch the blood. With no time to care for hygiene, his fingers plunged into the hole in Riza's shoulder, searching for the bullet still embedded in the muscle. Finding it, he pulled it out as Riza gave a loud cry. Blood now poured from the wound, faster than ever.

"I can't do it, she's losing too much blood!" the doctor shouted, signalling to his wife to search for something in his kit.

"Let me see her, let me see her!" Anthony's shouts echoed off the high ceiling of the church. The gun had fallen from his hand already, although his eyes retained their wild expression. "I'm her husband, let me see her! Elizabeth!"

Wiping his forehead on the sleeve of his blood-splattered suit, Doctor Rockbell threw aside the bloody wad of gauze in his hand, hurriedly dabbed some yellow liquid onto another, and pressed it against Riza's wound. The white pad immediately turned pink, then red, as it soaked up more and more blood. Riza's eyes rolled in their sockets. Rose seized her hand and held it tight.

"No! Riza, stay with us!" she called desperately. Riza blinked a few times, as though trying to focus, and, finally recognising her, managed a weak smile.

"I'm…going to die…aren't I?" she croaked out.

"We're trying to save you, Riza!" Rose assured her. "Don't worry… Do you want to see your husband?"

Riza tried to shake her head, but could not gather the strength for it. "No," she whispered instead. "The other man…"

"The vampire?" Gracia, who stood by Rose's side, frowned. "Hang on, I'll get him."

The midnight blue blur that was Gracia vanished from Riza's vision, and returned with someone in black in tow. Almost everyone moved away from him, as though he carried some plague. Rose moved back to make space for him, and he immediately took the hand that Rose had dropped.

"Riza!" Roy exclaimed, ignoring the rest of the crowd. "You should not be talking. Rest now, everything will be alright, I promise."

Riza tried to shake her head again, as Doctor Rockbell pulled out a third wad of gauze, which turned red as quickly as the other two had; the blood flow had not lessened at all.

"No, Roy," she whispered, so softly that Roy had to put his ear to her lips to hear her clearly. "I know…I am…about to die."

To this, Roy had no reply. He simply knelt there, caressing Riza's cold hand, holding it up to his lips.

"I don't…want to…die…"

If vampires had tears to cry, Riza's gown would have been soaking with tears by now. Roy did not want to lose Riza either, but how could he tell her that now?

"But…you can…save me…"

Roy frowned at Riza for a moment. And then it dawned upon him what she wanted him to do.

"No, I…" But he could not find any excuses this time. It was either that, or lose Riza forever.

With a sigh, Doctor Rockbell laid aside this gauze and looked directly at Roy. "I have heard that a vampire's saliva has blood coagulating and tissue regenerating properties," he stated in a whisper, so that the rest of the crowd could not hear. "Is that true?"

Roy nodded. "Yes, but the amount of saliva needed to close a wound that big would turn her into a vampire. I can't do that…"

"Bite me…Roy…" Riza gasped out. Her breath was now coming in short, raspy spurts. "Let me…spend an eternity…with you…"

"I…" Faltering, Roy turned to the doctor for advice. The latter shrugged.

"She is willing," he reasoned, "so I don't see why you shouldn't be. From what I witnessed today, she would rather be with you than with little Tony-lad anyway."

"Roy…" Riza had her eyes closed. Each breath visibly pained her now. Her face was almost as white as the dress she wore. "Roy… Please…"

Roy closed his eyes and swallowed. Then he lowered his lips to Riza's left shoulder, and began sucking at the blood. Saliva flowed, and Roy could feel the wound healing itself: torn muscles rejoining, ruptured blood vessels reconnecting, and finally, skins cells regenerating and forming themselves to cover Riza's wound.

Riza's breathing slowed, then stopped. Her heart thudded to a halt, and even as blood stopped flowing out of Riza's wound, it stopped flowing around her body. Roy lifted his head. Riza's eyes were closed. She looked peacefully asleep, and for a moment, Roy feared that he had been too late. But then he saw Riza's marble skin, and the sharpened tooth that jutted out from under Riza's lip, and he knew with a jolt that his job was done.

Riza's eyelids fluttered open to a collective sigh of relief around the church, and as she sat up, Roy caught a glimpse of red veins lining the whites of her eyes.

"Riza! You're alright!" someone shouted from amidst the crowd.

"Yeah! You're really amazing, Doctor Rockbell!" Voices of elation rose in the church as everyone rushed forward to greet Riza. Forgotten, Roy was pushed to the back, where he managed to slip away from the church, before someone remembered him and tried to capture him. From among the villagers, Rose caught a glimpse of the tail of Roy's black cloak as it fluttered momentarily in the breeze. Then he was gone.

"Riza! Let me through! I want to see my wife!" Anthony's voice cut through the rest of the murmurs. The man himself pushed his way through the throng of people and grinned widely at Riza. He opened his arms wide for a hug, but Riza pushed him away instead.

"I'm sorry, Anthony," she said quietly. "I cannot marry you. Not after you nearly killed me."

Anthony's grin faded, but before he could reply, Mrs Rockbell shot him a warning glance.

"Come, Riza dear," she said, putting her arm around the girl. "You've had a very great shock. Gosh, look how cold your hands are! You need to lie down and rest!"

With a nod to his wife, Doctor Rockbell scooped Riza into his strong arms, and carried her to his house, where she could use the patient's bed again. With a pitied glance at Anthony's stunned expression, Winry followed the two of them.

* * *

At the Rockbells', after much fussing and fluffing of pillows, the doctor's wife finally left Riza to get some rest. But even as the door to the patient's room closed, Riza had to admit to herself that despite the wormwood brew that Mrs Rockbell had given her once more, she was not fatigued at all. In fact, she felt energetic, as though she had just gone for a refreshing morning run. Getting off the bed, Riza crossed the room and examined herself in a mirror hanging on the wall opposite the bed. Her rosy-cheeked complexion was gone. She did not just look pale under her tanned skin, but as though any colour had been drained from her face, her arms and all over her body: her skin was now white as alabaster.

_Pale and fair, just the way Anthony would have liked it_, Riza thought, smiling wryly. She imagined herself seducing Anthony, and then biting him when he was not expecting it. He would certainly have deserved that, but Riza pushed the thought away. Inconsiderately as he had treated her, he had not beaten her or starved her, and anyway, she did not think she could bear to kill anyone, not even Anthony Briggs.

She now looked closer at her features. Her eyes had become bloodshot, and, giving the mirror an experimental smile, she saw that her teeth had become longer and more pointed. It had happened, and she hadn't felt a thing. She had become a vampire.

_Yes, Riza._ Roy's voice echoed in her head, as it had once did, here in this very room. _It is done. You're one of us now…_

_I can't stay here anymore, can I? _Riza asked, directing the thought at Roy.

_No, we have to leave immediately._

_Can't we wait…just to say goodbye? I mean, I didn't feel any urge to bite anyone, when Doctor Rockbell carried me back, and I still don't. Maybe the urges takes some time to settle in, so I have some time to give my last farewells…_

_Your time is almost up, _Roy said sternly. _Once the moon rises, you will start to feel something, and since this will be your first time, you might be caught unawares. You might hurt someone before you even know what is going on._

Roy could feel the disappointment in Riza, her determination to leave before hurting her friends, and her resultant dilemma. _Leave a note to them,_ he suggested. _Or write one to the doctor and ask him to cover for you. He knows, anyway. He was the one who encouraged me to do it._

Riza nodded, then remembered that Roy could not see her. _Alright,_ she said. She found a pen and some paper in the drawer of the bedside table, and scribbled:

_Dear Doctor Rockbell, thanks for your care of me in my entire stay in Gieseborough. I think you know my situation, and why I have chosen to leave the village tonight. Please explain things to Gracia, Rose and Winry. They deserve to know the truth. I would also appreciate it if you could persuade Anthony to give me up. I'm sure you'd agree that there is no way I can return and marry him. Thanks! – Riza _

Slipping the note under the water jug on the table, Riza proceeded to search for some clothes. She found a simple dark brown dress of hers in the wardrobe, and hurriedly changed to that. As an afterthought, she shoved her wedding gown and veil into a large sack, and added a postscript to the note, expressing her thanks to Rose and the others for the gown.

_Time to go,_ Roy said gently. The sun was already setting, casting a orangey-pink glow on the village and the villagers, as the latter of them bustled around, taking down the wedding decorations, and finishing up the wedding cake and banquet spread.

Riza opened her bedroom door just a fraction of the way, and peeped through the gap. The house seemed empty, so she quickly left the room, taking care to close the door behind her, and sneaked out of the back door of the cottage. There, leaning on the trunk of a tall apple tree, was Roy. Looking up, he smiled at her.

"Now, shall we go?" Roy asked, holding out his hand. Riza hesitated.

"There's still some daylight; won't people see us?"

Roy let out a snort of laughter. "See us?" he asked, once he had regained control. "Darling, we're vampires. We can disappear into the shadows!"

Riza frowned. "I thought that was just a figure of speech…"

"No, not at all." Roy shook his head. "As long as we keep in the shadows, we can run at, pardon the pun, light speed. Vampires call this flitting." Seeing Riza's doubtful expression, he added, "We can turn into bats too, if you want to know. Perhaps that would put your mind at greater ease…"

Riza shook her head hastily. "Flitting will do. But how…"

"Here take my hand." Roy's right hand closed on Riza's left. Where she once deemed Roy's hands and skin to be cold, she now felt no difference between his body temperature and her own. 'I'll lead you, and soon you'll be able to see how it's done. Come…"

And within seconds, the couple was gone, leaving in their trail a light rustling of leaves.


	12. A Better Life

Chapter Twelve: A Better Life

"So she's left? She's really gone?" Anthony questioned Doctor Rockbell for the hundredth time that day in The Black Bear. Having found Riza gone that evening, the doctor had read the note carefully, then went to the inn to announce the situation.

"Yes, Master Briggs." Doctor Rockbell sighed. "I've told you, she must have had a big shock after that near-death experience. And," he added, holding up a hand to forestall Anthony's next words, "in anticipation of your next question, no, I have no idea where she went. She didn't say."

"She must be with her parents," Anthony said, starting to pace up and down the floor in The Black Bear. "I'll go back to London and find her. Then I'll bring her back and –"

"Forget it, Tony," Gracia adviced coolly from her seat next to Maes in the corner of the inn. "If she's frightened, you hunting her down won't help things."

"No!" Anthony yelled, shaking his head with much conviction. "Elizabeth can't be scared by such a small thing! It must be that vampire! That filthy killer…"

"You've no right to call him a killer, you know," Maes said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Not after you yourself tried to kill him, and ended up almost killing Riza. And that, by the way, is no 'small thing'. If it were me, I'd have left too."

"And if it was the vampire that whisked her away," Winry added quietly, "then it just means you've lost to him. So give Riza up and accept it like a man!"

The villagers nodded in general agreement. "Yes, that vampire is rather handsome, after all," someone muttered from the back of the crowd, and several other girls giggled and tittered their approval. Anthony scowled, glaring in their direction.

"Say all you want, persuade me all you want," Anthony snarled, standing up so quickly the bench he'd been sitting on fell onto its side with a crash. "But I will never, _never_, give up on Elizabeth!" With this, he pushed through the stunned crowd and stormed through the entrance of the inn, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

Back in Sulvari Castle, Roy lounged on the couch, right hand holding a wine glass, and the left hooked around Riza, playing with her hair. "I'll have to introduce you to Mother soon, but before that, I think I should teach you some etiquettes of the vampires," he told her, tickling her cheek.

"Well, I've already told you quite a lot about our Family system, so there's not much else to teach you. One thing that you must know, however, is that ever House has its own insignia. For House Narya, it's the very symbol on my gloves. You once asked me what that was, remember?"

Roy stretched out his gloved left hand, surveying the symbol with affection. "Most vampire Families choose symbols related to the element Fire, because we are born fiery creatures: our passionate natures, our love for blood, and some vampires even go so far as to learn some flashy pyrotechniques."

"Like those you used at the mid-summer Dance?" Riza asked. "And… that time I dropped my lamp and nearly set the whole plains on fire, you were controlling the flames too right?" Roy nodded, clicking his gloved fingers. A flame sprang to the tip of his index finger immediately. "Show off," Riza muttered, giving him a mock scowl.

"Well," Roy protested, "I can't help it if you light my fire, can I?" He winked at Riza, who rolled her eyes at him.

"Gosh, am I really going to spend the rest of my very long life with you?" Riza asked, half exasperated, half amused.

"Yeah, get used to it."

Riza grinned. "You know what?" she said, curling up against Roy. "I think I already have…"

* * *

At twilight, darkness descended like heavy stage curtains over the little village. Unnoticed by the carefree villagers, who were once again indulging in their favourite night activities of drinking and gossip-swapping, a horse-driven carriage slipped out of the village and headed for the industrial town beyond the hills.

Anthony Briggs had been in such a hurry to leave Gieseborough that he had not the time to engage a carriage driver, but that was no bother to him; better to leave quickly, than to face further humiliation concerning his runaway wife.

He goaded his horse into a faster pace, his back firmly set towards the direction of Sulvari Castle. _Elizabeth Heinswen_, he thought grimly,_ and that bride-stealing vampire, you two will soon find out what happens to those who cross a banker, especially if that banker's name is Anthony Briggs!_

* * *

That very same twilight, for the first time in many years, Roy Mustang packed his clothes into a small suitcase, and locked the doors of Sulvari Castle. Taking his one love Riza Hawkeye by the hand, he led her through the shadowy heart of England's forests to Romania to pay their respects to the matriarch of the vampire House Narya. By now, Riza had become accustomed to the light, easy feel of her body, and her lack of need for oxygen. As they travelled, Riza smiled at Roy.

"Many lovers would give anything to have what we have," she mused aloud. "They can only spend one lifetime together, but we have eternity ahead of us, to live together and love each other."

Roy smiled. Indeed, a vampire's years may be long and dreary, but with love at his side, things were set to get better.


	13. Epilogue

Epilogue

The last rays of the setting sun had long disappeared from the earth. All was dark, save for the twinkling, winking stars, and the pale, silvery shine of the full moon, which cast an eerie glow on the grey-stoned castle.

In the castle, too, was pitch blackness, thick as velvet. But there was no need for light. Vampires could see through even the densest nights.

Soft music played from the corner of the ballroom. Considering the atmosphere, one would have been surprised to note that it was not a church organ that played, but rather, a grand piano. The sweet result lightened the mood in the castle greatly, which was, of course, appropriate for the occasion at hand.

By the moonlight that entered the tall glass windows, one could see several black-clad men and women standing at the foot of a staircase, their suits and dresses cut to an elaborate sixteenth century style. A few of them fidgeted impatiently, and the rustle of silk and lace could be heard faintly, a low undertone to the piano's soothing melody.

Suddenly, the music stopped. Someone clapped his hands, once, twice, and candles that lined the sides of the grand staircase lit up, their dim flames flickering slightly in the non-existent wind. Several of the guest muttered excitedly. At last, it was time.

Craning their necks, the guests stared at the top of the stairs. They did not have to wait long to see what they had been seeking out. A tall man dressed in a court dress of dark blue with gold embroidered trimmings and gilded buttons bearing the House Narya's insignia. His dark hair, which had been combed back neatly, was tucked under a dark blue peak cap. A few of the ladies among the guests murmured approvingly. He was indeed very handsome.

But the centre of attraction this night was not the tall, finely dressed man, but the lady whose hand was hooked gently around his arm. Her long dress, cleaned of all blood, was white as snow, and shone brighter than all the candles in the castle put together, brighter even than the stars in the night sky. Her hair was bundled in an elegant twist, and beneath the lace veil, her features were perfectly formed. Though the audience could not see, they had no doubt that her complexion would be pale and flawless as alabaster, as though she had been soaked in moonbeams.

The piano started playing the _Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream_. Together, Roy and Riza descended the stairs, to where Mother waited, her face carved into an inviting smile. The audience clapped and cheered. One of their brethren was about to be married to the most beautiful lady in all Europe.

"Mother," Roy greeted the old woman affectionately. Riza gave an awkward curtsy, as she thought was expected of her, but Mother simply clucked her tongue impatiently. She drew the younger woman into a tight embrace.

"No need for such formalities, my child," she said softly. "You are no stranger to me now, and do not think I am so old-fashioned as to demand curtsies from my daughters. Today, we welcome you into our noble House, not only as a daughter and a sister, but also as the wife of one of my sons. The morning may bring troubles, but let those wait for the morrow. For now, let us make merry!"

The vampires gathered clapped and cheered. As the music changed suddenly to a lively dance tune, Roy swept Riza into his arms and kissed her passionately on her lips. Filled with elation, Riza wrapped her arms around Roy's neck, savouring the sweetness in her mouth. Deep inside, she knew that she and Roy would soon be hunted, that Anthony Briggs, the man who so nearly became her husband, would not let her rest. Bust, as Mother said, let those worries wait. Now was the time to be happy.

And happy she was, indeed.

* * *

Acknoledgements

Well, that's the end of my first fanfic on Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me from Chapter One, and to everyone who has reviewed and commented on the fanfic, and thus gave me encouragement to keep writing. You have no idea how much that means to me!

So now that I'm done with this, what next? Well, I have started my university term, so finding time to write might be a bit harder for me now. But, no, I don't intend to give up writing altogether. I have ideas for more FMA fanfics, and more Royai goodness. I also have an idea for a Harry Potter fanfic that has been bugging me since before _Deathly Hallows_. On the lighter, more humourous side, there's a Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings crossover project which I have long abandoned, and which I am thinking of reviving. But on a short-term basis, in relation to the upcoming Royai Summer Festival, which is going to be held on a certain FMA forum, I shall be writing something that involves Roy, Riza and the summer sun.

Thanks once more for all the kind comments! Writing can only be so much fun. It is having your work read and appreciated that makes up most of the enjoyment of being a writer:)


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